At least 90 Palestinians have been killed and 300 others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Mawasi refugee camp, in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza on Saturday, July 13. Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that many people are still missing under the rubble.
The Israeli Occupation Forces targeted Al-Mawasi despite already designating it as a humanitarian safe zone. Israel claimed that the airstrike targeted the head of Hamas’ military wing Al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed ِAl-Deif, and the commander of Khan Younis Brigade, Rafe Salamah. While some Israeli media outlets reported the killing of Salamah, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, rejected the Israeli claim behind the targeting Khan Younis and said in a statement that the Israeli claims are “unfounded” and “come to cover up the scale of the horrific massacre the Israeli occupation has committed”.
Hamas Deputy Chief, Khalil al-Hayyah, stated during an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday, that Al-Deif was not killed, confirming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to declare a “fake victory” with such claims. Al-Deif, considered as Israel’s most wanted for nearly three decades, is said to have survived the seventh assassination attempt by Israel. Meanwhile, conflicting news reports came out on Sunday July 14, alleging that Hamas has withdrawn from ceasefire talks due to Israel’s attacks across Gaza and lack of seriousness in terms of negotiations. However, a statement from senior Hamas leader Izzat El-Reshiq, denied those claims and highlighted that these massacres committed by Israel are an attempt to “obstruct reaching an agreement to stop the aggression against our people, which has become clear to everyone.”
The Israeli occupation forces committed another massacre in Al-Shati refugee camp on Saturday, shortly after the Al-Mawasi massacre. At least 22 people were killed in Al-Shati after the IOF targeted Al-Abyad Mosque during prayer hours. Al-Shati massacre was followed by three massacres on Sunday, July 14, one in northern Gaza City, in which at least 16 people were killed and another in southern Rafah leaving at least six people killed. The third massacre took place in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza as Israeli airstrikes hit an UNRWA-run School, killing at least 15.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza announced on ٍSunday that the death toll in the Israeli aggression on the besieged strip has risen to at least 38,584, while 88,881 people have been injured.
On day 282 of the genocide, the Zionist state continues its systematic ethnic cleansing policy against Palestinians, having been granted the green light by the United States and provided with US-manufactured weaponry. A CNN report said on Saturday that at least one US-made Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) was used by the IOF in its recent brutal attack on Khan Younis.